BRIEFS

Amarillo police officer assaulted, injured

Posted: Wednesday, March 29, 2000

An Amarillo police officer received minor injuries when he was assaulted late Tuesday as he responded to an animal cruelty call.

Officers were sent to a house in the 4600 block of Bonham Street at about 10 p.m. after a 911 call alerted them to a man who was slamming a cat into the ground, said Amarillo Police Department Sgt. Eric Smith. When they arrived on the scene, they found the cat in the front yard with a broken back.

Neighbor Juanita Wineinger said the man was fighting another man, then attacked his wife and came across the street to try to fight with Wineinger and her neighbors before officers arrived.

Mike Hancock was one of the officers who responded to the call, and when he got there, he was attacked by the suspect, Smith said.

During the struggle, the man slammed Hancock's head into a fence.

Paramedics were sent to the scene, but Hancock's injuries were not serious enough for him to be transported to the hospital, Smith said.

The 30-year-old man was arrested on assault against a public servant and animal cruelty charges, Smith said.

Two young girls injured in hit-and-run

Amarillo police are searching for the driver of a car who hit two young girls and fled the scene Tuesday night.

The injured 10-year-olds were crossing 15th Avenue near Hayes Street just after 7 p.m. with another young girl when they were hitby a brown four-door car east-bound on 15th Avenue, said officer John Call. The third girl was not injured.

Witnesses said the car was driving at a high rate of speed, Call said.

Paramedics took the two girls to Northwest Texas Hospital with injuries that did not appear life-threatening, said Amarillo Medical Services supervisor Jerry Brock.

No better description of the suspect vehicle was available late Tuesday.

Anyone with information on the identity of the driver should call the Amarillo Police Department at 378-9452.